1. Technology Field
The present invention relates to a flash memory storage apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
The growth of digital cameras, camera mobile phones, and MP3 players has been rapid in recent years. Consequently, the consumers' demand for storing digital data has increased tremendously. As the flash memory has characteristics such as data non-volatility, low power consumption, compact size, and non-mechanical structure, it is adapted for the user to carry around as storage medium for transmitting and exchanging digital files. A flash drive is a storage apparatus adopting NAND flash memory as storage medium.
3C products in the current marketplace are designed with a trend toward small, thin and light-weighted. In particular, this trend is more apparent in portable personal devices with a universal serial bus (USB) interface, for example, the flash memory storage apparatus adopting the USB interface as the transmission interface results in the demand in low-profile design. For example, a mini USB flash drive typically employs the gold finger of a printed circuit board to replace the design of conventional USB connector which includes a mechanical housing associated therewith, and is thus exposed outside to reduce the overall thickness of the product and achieve miniaturization.
Generally, the USB interface includes a power lead (VCC), a positive signal lead (D+), a negative signal lead (D−), and a ground lead (GND). Especially, when the USB flash drive is connected to the host through the USB interface, the pads of the power lead and the ground lead electrically connect to the connection port disposed on the host simultaneously. Therefore, the circuit unit of the USB flash drive is prevented from being damaged by the high voltage generated from plugging the USB flash drive into the connection port of the host. Hence, the housing disposed in the periphery of the gold finger of the conventional USB flash drive connects to the ground lead, so that when the USB flash drive is plugged into the host, the ground lead electrically connects to the connection port of the host with priority to prevent the damage resulting from the aforementioned high voltage.
However, as the above-mentioned mini USB flash drive is not disposed within a housing, when the mini USB flash drive is connected to the host, the ground lead may not be connected to the host due to incorrect plugging, so as to result in the damaging of the circuit of the mini USB flash drive by high voltage.